People have been silent too long

March 5, 2016January 25, 2019

Revisiting Levi Frady’s last day, Oct. 22, 1997

Eleven-year-old Levi Frady rode the Forsyth County school bus home on the last day of his life. He was the kind of kid that always carried a comb in his pocket or backpack. Maybe it was habit. At one time, a small wart on his forehead, above his right eye, embarrassed him, and he’d comb his hair down over it so no one could see. According to a source familiar with the case, a comb was found near his body when it was discovered.

Levi’s family last saw him at 4:15, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 1997 when he left on his red bicycle to study at a friend’s house. The 5th game of the World Series with the Florida Marlines taking on the Cleveland Indians was scheduled for later that evening.

Forsyth County News, Oct. 26, 1997

A Dawson County Georgia Sheriff’s Office report stated that Frady left his Burruss Mill Road home Wednesday afternoon to do homework at the Noah Road home of a friend. He was expected back by 6:30 p.m., according to Forsyth County News, Oct. 26, 1997.

Roman Martinez was one of two friends Levi visited that fateful day. After playing together, Roman stood in the road in front of his house and watched Levi ride his bike over the hill and out of sight. He never saw his buddy again. …

Levi Frady, 11, was last seen riding his bicycle on Little Mill Road in Forsyth County, Oct. 22, 1997.

…Levi was headed to another boy’s house and planned to eat out with them, but he couldn’t get in touch with his mother, Marilyn Frady Parkman, to ask permission. Relatives say she was in the bathtub when he called, and she told Laci to tell Levi to come home. But authorities say the other boy’s mother couldn’t reach Levi’s mom by phone, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Nov. 9, 1997.

While at one of his friend’s homes, Levi enjoyed jumping on a trampoline.

And yet, he didn’t arrive home as expected at 6:30 p.m.

By 7 p.m. it was nearly dark. Parkman went to the Noah Road home around 7:30 p.m. when Frady had not returned. … No one was home at that address when Parkman stopped by. She told sheriff’s office investigators she fell asleep after going home, but Frady had not returned when she woke up at 2 a.m. She said she thought he had spent the night at another friend’s house, according to Forsyth County News, Oct. 26, 1977.

Levi was afraid of the dark, family members said. Daylight savings time would still be in effect for four more days. Temperatures on Oct. 22, 1997: High 68, low 48. Light rain/drizzle.

According to an AJC report on Oct. 24, 1997, Laci Frady, the boy’s fraternal twin, spotted the bike Wednesday night while she and her mother, Marilyn Parkman, mounted their own search after Levi did not return home at 6:30 p.m. — the designed time, Laci Frady said. Thursday (Oct. 23).

Laci later recalled that her mother simply didn’t react when they saw the bike, according to the AJC, Nov. 9, 1997. Link to AJC story

This blog’s author during her investigation hired a private helicopter from North Atlanta Executive Air of Cumming, and a professional photographer to take aerial pictures of Levi’s home and the route he may have travelled.

North Atlanta Executive Air of Cumming was hired to fly-over Levi’s bike route.

A bicycle lay in the grass near the location on Little Mill Road where Levi’s bike was originally found. Yellow rectangles served as visual cues for the pilot and photographer.

These five pics are routes Levi could have travelled to and from his friends’ homesLevi Frady’s home on Burruss Mill Road in Cumming, Ga.

A map showing a route Levi may have taken on Oct. 22, 1997. Note map key, bottom left.

“I remember exactly where they (authorities) found the bike because it was right down from my house,” a Little Mille Road resident said in 2014.

Some news outlets at the time reported Levi had been abducted — although no one saw him being taken. House Rep. Kevin Tanner (R-Dawsonville) was working on the case in 1997 as a young deputy with the Dawson County Sheriff’s office.

“The reality is there really wasn’t any solid leads at the time as far as the abduction side, where he was last seen on Little Mill (Road),” Tanner said during a phone interview Feb. 18, 2016. “So there’s no one who actually saw him being taken, and if they did they’ve never come forward.”

Tanner also said one of the best homicide investigators in the state worked the case.

“He’s retired now, Tim Attaway,” he said. “(GBI) Director Vernon Keenan would agree, if not the best, one of the best homicide investigators in modern history with GBI. He was just outstanding. He worked on the case for an untold amount of time and so did profilers from the FBI, GBI, (there was) a tremendous amount of news coverage, hundreds of interviews canvassing the neighborhoods.”

In June 2012, W. Timothy Attaway, was appointed to the governor’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. He retired from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with more than 30 years of state law enforcement experience. He is currently employed with Cathey & Strain, attorneys at law in Cornelia. Attaway obtained a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Carol Ann, have one son. They reside in Clermont, according to a press release posted on Gov. Nathan Deal’s website, Office of Gov. Nathan Deal.

When asked what it will take solve the Levi Frady case, Tanner said it has to be someone talking about it.

“I think it will take the person involved, or someone who has direct knowledge talking about it,” he said. “Sometimes — it often does — maybe somebody knew something at the time, but then years later, they’re not in the same situation they were in, so they’re more open to discuss it.

“All of us who have been touched by it in some way want to see it solved.”

The morning after Levi disappeared, Milton Frady, the boy’s father called home before school started to check on his children. He was told by Laci that Levi was in the shower, according to a family source.

Milton and Marilyn Frady were married Feb. 14, 1984. Their divorce was finalized Feb. 2, 1989 with the wife receiving, “permanent, legal custody of both minor children,” according to documents filed in the Superior Court of Forsyth County, Ga.

NEXT UP: What happened the day Levi’s body was found? Had his bicycle been moved?

Like this:

Related

23 thoughts on “Revisiting Levi Frady’s last day, Oct. 22, 1997”

The fucking mother and psycho boyfriend were the culprits of this crime. PERIOD. The fucking bitch went to sleep without giving a fuck if his child was home or not and even cleaned and moved the bike? I can’t believe how incompetent and shitty these cops are. These fuckers need to be arrested and interrogated ASAP.

Someone in that family has to know something, too many suspicions floating around, nothing adds up for the timeline, nothing. If an 11 year old child was missing, no one would fall asleep not knowing where there child was, you wouldn’t move a bike, not tell the father, etc….. Something is fishy, sorry but I have the gut feeling and I’m usually right with my instincts. Needs further investigating that’s all I am saying. The Child (Levi) needs justice and he deserves to rest in peace but knowing his murderer is still out there, he can’t. And by the way, I know there are bad people out there who do just pull up and kidnap kids, but to take him to the woods and shoot him 3 TIMES, I mean come on, that is someone that he knew and would tell on and they knew it! God help you, and lord lets hope you, or someone will do the right thing. If not, KARMA will serve it’s justice one day.

Wow. This is really a stretch of the truth. I hope that people realize that this is simply a desperate woman’s opinion and speculation of the truth. I am starting to wonder who is financing your little project? Why are you creating Facebook profiles as Levi Frady, sending friend requests to all of Laci’s friends and advertising this blog on Levi’s fake Facebook profile? Why do you care so much about this case? Are you involved? I really believe that you have created this uproar in our community to cause people to start accusing one another. Are you really trying to tear this family apart by reopening old wounds? Leave this to the professionals Kim!!!!!

Sorry but the professionals have not been very sufficient. Look st the conflict between offices. Look at GBI cover up history on multiple things. People just want to bury the secrets with this boy. Sad. As a mother I would be hunting down the truth and welcome any help also asa mother I would have not waited all night to look for my child. Hell yes I’m judging. This boy was missing all night before she called the police. This family and that town Hope secrets stay buried. This blog is avoid for the victim it’s not about the family.

I don’t know the family or the case at all. I’m sorry that this blog was not approved by the family. I imagine it has to be hard reliving it over again and hearing speculation. I do hope it helps bring answers to the family. Someone knows something and they may not even realize they know it. Hopefully, it encourages the right person to speak. Praying for answers and healing!

Laci, Why do you not contact the person writing this blog and sit down and give her the facts. If what she is printing is not right then correct it by talking to her ,it will not be corrected by you getting upset and calling names. Call her and put this to rest.

This has got to be one of the most puzzling cases. Marilyn has been my close friend since we met in 1978 highschool. Yes im sure she didnt make the best choices then regarding her parenting skills. However, back then in those days, out in the country on those ‘safe’ country roads, bad things just didnt happen! They just didnt…. We could ride our bikes amd walk those streets and the worst that would happen is maybe a dog would chase you.
After this happened the rumor was that the Tallant men had something to do with it. It was serious talk. Nothing ever came of it. I do believe that whoever did this is still living there in Forsyth County. I laso believe that the police should have put more pressure on the Tallant guys…. I seriously believe they kbow SOMETHING. Marilyn and her whole entire family needs closure on this.

Kimberly you have no heart. How dare you create this blog without asking the family and you’re not even writing truth! Your details are totally false! Take this blog, the Facebook and Twitter pages down now!

Not to be rude but this is not about the family. This is about a boy whose soul cannot rest. Secrets were buried with him. Too many suspicious things surround this case. If you believe this author is slandering the family’s name then take her to court and end this.